Tape dispenser



C. W. VOGT TAPE DISPENSER Jung i' l, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 1, 1954 INVEN TOR. CLARENCE W VOGT ATTORNEYS.

C. W. VOGT TAPE DISPENSER June 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 1, 1954 INVENTOR. 64/5 CZARENCE 14 1 067" BY W. M.% r/ aw,

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' A TTORNEKS- United States atent TAPE DISPENSER Clarence W. Vogt, Weston, Conn.

Application November 1, 1954, Serial No. 465,903

13 Claims. (Cl. 164-345) This invention relates to improvements in tape dispensing and cutting devices and it relates particularly to dispensing devices having cutting elements therein which are capable of cutting all types of pressure-sensitive and adhesive tapes including fibrous and plastic-base tapes used in the wrapping and electrical insulating art.

Simple and inexpensive devices are provided for cutting conventional cellulose tapes of the pressure-sensitive type and the design of cutting elements for this purpose has presented little or no problem in the art. On the other hand, more recently developed tapes, such as vinyl tapes having a pressure-sensitive coating on them which are used for electrical insulation have presented a problem which is of some concern to the manufacturers and users of the tape. The vinyl plastic tapes and the fibrous filled or backed tapes are not readily torn and it is difficult to sever the tapes even with a sharp cutting implement. For .that reason, no one heretofore has provided a cutting mechanism that can be mounted on the roll of tape itself and carried with the tape to facilitate its cutting or a desktype of tape dispensing device having a cutter suitable for the purpose indicated.

The present invention provides a simple and inexpensive form of cutting device which can be used with the roll of tape as it is supplied by the manufacturer thereof, or if preferred, it can be mounted by means of a simple adapter on a desk-type mount, a handle or the like to form a self-contained tape dispenser and cutting apparatus.

More particularly, the invention provides a holder for a roll of pressure-sensitive or other adhesive tape, the holder having a movable springy cutter fashioned to sever the tape readily and being deflected by the efiort required to sever the tape so that it can spring back to a protected position and at the same time reform the free end of the tape to facilitate its handilng.

Moreover, I have discovered that the shape of the cutting portion of the blade is of great importance in controlling its ability to cut various types of tape and the present invention takes advantage of this discovery to provide cutting blades for use with dispensing devices which readily cut the tough vinyl and fibrous tapes that could not be cut with cutters in the prior tape dispensing devices.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a typical tape dispensing and cutting device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section through the tape dispensing device disclosed in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the frame of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the frame of thedevice;

Fig. 5 is a view in section illustrating the operation of the cutting device during the cutting of the tape;

2,839,140 Patented June 17, 1958 "ice Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of a typical blade 4 for the cutting device;

Fig. 8 is an end view of the blade shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the blade shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation of a support for a roll of tape, the support being attached to a cutting device of the kind shown in Figs. 1 to 6;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the support;

Fig. 12 is a View in side elevation of the support detached from the cutting device; and

Fig. 13 is a view in section taken through a roll of tape and the cutting device illustrating the use of the cutting device with a desk stand or support.

The present invention is embodied in a cutting device 20 which includes a pair of spaced apart similar side plates 21 and 22 formed of metal, plastic or other suitable material. The side plates are connected by means of a snubbing member or bar 23 and by means of a base plate 24 which are spaced apart angularly about a generally cylindrical pivot member 25 having an outwardly extending ridge or lobe 25a thereon.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6, the tape may be drawn from a roll T of tape and passed between the snubbing bar 23 and the pivot member 25. A cutting member or knife 26 of the kind best shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings is supported movably on the pivot member 25. The cutting member 26 is formed of thin spring steel and is bent to provide a semicylindrical midportion 27 from which extend springy diverging end portions or arms 23 and 29 to give the blade approximately a W-shape when viewed from the side. The arm 28 forms the cutting portion of the blade and is of a novel formation. As best shown in Fig. 8, the end of the blade includes a pair of outwardly converging edges 30 and 31 which join to form a generally V-shaped end or piercing point on the blade 31a. Triangular edge portions 32 and 33 are bent slightly out of the plane of the blade at converging lines 34 and 35 to impart stifiness to the end of the blade. Also, the point 31a of the blade may be bent back out of the plane of the arm 28, if desired.

The sharpness of the pointed end 31a of the blade, that is, the angular relation of the edges 30 and 31, is of great importance in determining the ability of the blade to cut the tougher, fibrous or vinyl plastic tapes. Thus, it has been found that if the angle between the edges 30 and 31 is about 150 or more, as shown in the righthand set of dotted lines in Fig. 9, it is not possible to cut the fibrous tapes easily or cleanly with the blade. On the other hand, if the angle between the edges 30 and 31 is about 120, as shown in full lines in Fig. 9, the

fibrous tapes can be out easily and cleanly without excessive pressure. If the angularity of the edges is about as shown in the left-hand dotted lines in Fig. 9, the vinyl base tapes can be cut cleanly and with ease. For cutting vinyl base tapes and the fibrous tapes, therefore, the angularity of the edges of the blade should be between about and 90, and preferably about 90".

As shown in Figs. 1, 11, 12 and 13, the blade 26 is mounted on the pivot member 25 so that it can rock from a position in which the arm 29 is in engagement with the snubbing bar 23 into another position in which the cutting arm 28 is in contact with the snubbing bar 23.

The blade 28 can be deflected by pressure into'contact with the stop member 38 on the base plate 24. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the stop member 38 is of generally triangular shape and is positioned above and approximately parallel with the base plate 24. The length of the stop member 38 is such that it is disposed wholly behind the cutting edges of the blade 26 when the blade is in. he cutting position, as illustrated in dotted. lines in Fig. 5.

The opposite end 29 of the blade 26 also serves with i the. snubbing bar .23. to hold the tape against outward movement while it is b ingut. To this end, the outer end of the portion 29 is provided with a curved portion 40 which engages the inside of the; tape and forces it against the rounded lower surface 39'of the snubbing bar 23 slightly to the left of the bottom of the surface 39 when the blade portion 28 is locked into engagement with the Stop member 38 asshown in Fig. 5. The tape thereby is pinched between thesurface 39 of the snubbing bar and the end portion 40 of the blade and held against slippage.

Inasmuch as the blade is formed of spring metal, the

' springy end portion 29 will tend to spring the blade back to a position adjacent the snubbing bar when the tape is released after cutting it, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

Inasmuchas the blade has a sharp point on it, it is desirable to afford as much protection to the blade as possible to prevent injury to the user thereof. To this end, the side plates are provided with spaced apart, angular extensions 41 and 42 which project beyond the pointed end 31a of the blade in its retracted position as shown in Fig. 6 and in the cutting position of the blade as shown in Fig. 5. The notch 43 is formed between the extensions 41 and 42 to make possible the gripping of the tape with the fingers to enable it to be withdrawn from the roll. Moreover, the notches enable the freeend of the tape to be attached to an article without interference from the extensions and provide space to allow the tape to be pulled down from the position shown in Fig. 6 to an angle sufficient to detach the tacky side of the tape from the snubbing surface 39 before a further length of tape is withdrawn from the roll.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the front surface of the snubbing bar 23 has angularly related flat surfaces 44 and 45 which render the face slightly concave. When the tape is bent back around the snubbing bar 23, the tape will be bent transversely, as shown in Fig. 6, and be stiffened thereby to enable it to be gripped more readily.

Certain relations must be maintained in the holder to make it most satisfactory in operation. As indicated above, the rolled edge 40 on the blade must engage the back or the left-hand side of the surface 39 to prevent the tape from pulling the arm 29 past the snubbing bar. The tape should extend from the snubbing bar at an angle of at least about 20 to the tangent to the bottom of the surface 39 when the tape is in the full line position shown in Fig. to break the tape loose easily from the bar when it is being pulled from the roll. The included angle between the lengths of tape on opposite sides of the snubbing bar corresponding to the above angle would normally be 160 or less. 7

As shown in Fig. 1, the cutting device may be used directly with a roll of tape T without any intermediate support for either of them. The tape roll is guided during unwinding of the tape by engagement with the rearwardly extending edges 46 and 47 of the snubbing bar 23 and the base flange 24. t t

On the other hand, as shown in Figs. /11 and 12, an adapter 48 may be provided for supporting the roll of tape more firmly. The adapter 48 may have a pair of resilient or resiliently connected side plates 49 and 50 having arcuate bosses 51- and 52 extending inwardly.

therefrom to engage in the'hollow core or spool S of the tape roll, and support it for rotation. An end Wall 1 53 connectsthe side plates 49 and 50 at one end. Re-

.cesses 54 and 55are formed in the side plates 49 and 50 at their junction with the end wall 53 to enable the end of the adapter to he slipped between the sides 21 and 22 of the cutting device. Flanges 56 and 57 are formed by the recesses'and these flanges engagein slots 583M159. in the sides 21.and2 2 of the cutting device to retain the adapt 8 against ro k ng. mo em n el tive to the cutting device '20. The adapter can be permanently attached to the device 20 or it may be attached to or detached from the cutting device 20 at will, and preferably will be used when large rolls of tape are sup-. plied or used with the cutting device.

The cutting device 20 may also be used with a desk-type support as shown in Fig. 13. A suitable. desk-type support or holder may include a heavy base member 60, formed of glass, metal or the like, and having a rubber or felt pad 61 on its bottom to avoid marring a desk or table top or the like. A central recess 62 extends lengthwise of the support to receive a roll T of tape. A spindle or spool 64 for supporting the roll may be provided and has reduced stub shafts 64a and 64b engageable in grooves 65 in the walls of the member 60 on opposite sides of the recess 62.

To facilitate the manufacture of holders like holder 60, the outer surfaces thereof preferably are arranged so that they converge in one direction while the inner surfaces, for example, the walls of the recess 62 and the grooves 65, either are parallel or slightly diverging to facilitate withdrawal of the holder or support from a mold, for example. In this way, it is possible to provide cast holders formed of glass, metal or plastic, without the need of machining and other operations which would add to their cost. It is understood, of course, that other types of holders and other shapes than that illustrated in the drawings may be manufactured and used with equal facility.

The cutting device 20 may be detachably mounted in the base 60 by means of a bracket 67. It has a generally channel-shaped stem 68 with diverging side flanges 69 at its edges that are slidably received in complemental grooves 70 formed in the front wall of the holder 60. Disposed at an angleto the stem 68 is a base plate 71 having side flanges 72 forming opposed groovesto receive the ribs 73 and 74 at the lower edges of the side plates 21 and 22 of the cutting device. An upwardly extending flange 75 is formed at the outer end of the base plate 71 to engage the downwardly extending tongue 76 on the base plate 24 of the cutting device to'restrain the latter from being pulled out of the bracket when tape is being disposed. It will be understood that the cutting device 20 is inserted between the flanges 72 from the rear of the bracket.

As shown in Fig. 13, the spindle 64 can be stored in a cavity 77 in the bottom of the support when an adapter 48 is used with the cutting device 20.

As a further protective feature of the applicants device, a tongue 78 may 'bemounted or formed in the upper edge of the snubbing bar 23 behind the pointedend of the cutter 26.

'In operation, as shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, the tape is drawn "directly between the snubbing bar 23 and the cutter 26 until a desired length has been pulled from the roll. The adhesive side ofthe tape faces the snubbing *bar 23. The tape then is pulled down sharply against the pointed end of the cutter, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, and will be severed cleanly thereby. In order to assure a clean and easy cut, the stop member 38 must be disposed far enough behind the cutting edge that the surface of the tape will not engage the stop member during the cutting operation. If interference occurs, it has been found that a clean cut or an easy cut cannot be made.

It Will be understood that the cutting blade preferably will 'be provided with a point'having the cutting edges related at about a angle since this type of blade will cut both the fibrous or vinyl or similar tough tapes with equal facility. However, for some purposes, it may be desirable to provide a somewhat greater angle and a less sharp point, especially when used for cutting fibrous tapes and t e like. The cutting blade 26 can be selected cording to the tape to be cut and can be assembled with the holder 20 and the tape roll T at any time to meet the requirements for cutting the particular tape supplied merely by snapping onto the pivot 25.

It will be understood that the holder can 'be made of various sizes and of various materials and that it can be used alone or with various types of holders through the medium of the bracket 67.

Accordingly, the forms of the invention described herein should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

'1 claim:

1. A device for dispensing and cutting plastic and fibrous adhesive tapes comprising a frame having a pair of side plates, a snubbing bar extending between said plates, a springy cutting blade pivotally mounted between said plates, said blade having a V-shaped piercing point at one end having edges disposed at an angle between about 90 and 120, a stop member engageable with said blade behind the piercing point to limit pivoting movement of said blade in one direction to a position at an acute angle to the tape extending between said snubbing bar and said point, and means actuated by pivoting movement of said blade toward said position for pressing said tape resiliently against said snubbing bar to restrict withdrawal of said tape.

2. The device set forth in claim 1 comprising laterally extending flanges on said side plates, an adapter memher having grooved edges to receive and retain said flanges, and an angularly related stem thereon, and a holder for a roll of tape having a recess therein to receive said stern and support said frame in alignment with said roll of tape.

3. A device for dispensing and cutting plastic and iibrous adhesive tapes comprising a frame having a pair of spaced side plates between which a tape can be drawn, a snubbing bar extending between the plates and adapted to engage one side of said tape, a pivot member extending between said plates in spaced relation to said snubbing bar and on the opposite side of said tape from said snubbing 'bar, a thin, springy blade for cutting the tape pivotally mounted on said pivot member and having a resilient extension at one end engageable with the tape to press it against the snubbing bar while the tape is being cut, and a stop member on said frame below said pivot to limit pivoting movement of said blade said blade having a V-shaped point at its other end, the point having diverging inclined edges disposed at an angle between about 90" and 120 to each other, said 'blade being pivotally movable between a position in which it engages said stop and another position in which said V- shaped point is adjacent to said snubbing bar.

4. A device for dispensing and cutting plastic and f1- brous tapes comprising a frame having a pivot member therein, a snubbing member spaced from said pivot memher, a stop member angularly spaced from said snubbing member, a resilient cutting blade pivotally mounted on said pivot member and having a cutting edge at one end movable between a tape cutting position adjacent to said stop member and a retracted position adjacent to said snubbing member, said blade having a rearward extension disposed at an angle to said blade and resiliently urging said tape against said snubbing member when said cutting blade is in cutting position, said blade being flexed at a greater angle with respect to said extension when said resilient extension is in tape snubbing position and the cutting blade is in cutting position.

5. The device set forth in claim 4 in which said frame has extensions thereon disposed outwardly beyond the end of said blade and protecting against injury by said blade in its cutting and retracted positions.

6. The device set forth in claim 4 in which the blade has outwardly converging cutting edges joining to form a piercing point, the edges being disposed at an angle between about and to each other.

' 7. The device set forth in claim 4 in which the blade has outwardly converging cutting edges joining to form a piercing point, the edges being disposed at an angle between about 90 and 120 to each other, the blade having narrow triangular portions bent out of the plane of the blade and converging to the piercing point of the blade.

8. The device set forth in claim 4 in which said stop member is disposed behind the cutting edge of said blade and out of contact with tape being cut thereby.

9. A device for dispensing tape comprising a heavy base member having a recess therein to receive a roll of tape and means for supporting said roll for rotation in said recess, a groove in said base member adjacent one end of said recess, an adapter member having a stem slidably fitting in said groove, side elements on said adapter member angularly disposed relative to said stem, a cutting member having side plates, extensions on said side plates releasably engageable with said side elements of the adapter member, and a cutting blade mova-bly mounted between said side plates for engagement with the tape to sever it.

10. The device set forth in claim 9 in which the side elements of the adapter member have grooves and the side plates of the cutting member have complemental flanges for releasably retaining said cutting member in said adapter member.

11. A cutting blade for fibrous, vinyl and similar plastic-base, pressure-sensitive tapes comprising a strip of springy metal having a semi-cylindrical mid-portion and angularly related end portions extending outwardly therefrom to form an approximately W-shaped element, one of said end portions having inwardly converging edges thereon forming a V-shaped piercing point, said edges being disposed at an angle of between about 90 and 120 relative to each other and the edge portions of said point being bent along converging lines intersecting at said point to stiffen the point.

12. The cutting blade set forth in claim 11 in which the other end of said strip has a reversely bent end portion.

13. A device for dispensing and cutting plastic and fibrous pressure-sensitive tapes comprising a frame having a pair of side plates, a snubbing bar extending between said plates, a cutting blade pivotally mounted between said side plates, a stop member between said plates engageable with said blade to support it while cutting tape, an adapter for supporting a roll of tape and means detachably connecting said adapter to said frame, said frame and said adapter having interfitting tongues and slots for holding them in a predetermied relation and said adapter has a pair of resiliently connected side members for receiving said roll rotatably.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 297,618 Moore Apr. 29, 1894 575,730 Peraut Jan. 26, 1897 1,152,851 Shelley Sept. 7, 1915 1,243,569 Taylor Oct. 16, 1917 1,880,950 Ewing et al. Oct. 4, 1932 2,118,751 Wolfson May 24, 1938 2,226,282 Garbatenks Dec. 24, 1940 2,344,340 Adams Mar. 14, 1944 2,400,776 Nordeen et al. May 21, 1946 2,424,486 Miller July 22, 1947 2,516,143 Parsons July 25, 1950 2,545,500 Stanley et al. Mar. 20, 1951 2,622,815 Waterman Dec. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 665,044 France Apr. 30, 1929 

